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Legendary Jean-Michel Bayle to Race US Nationals?

The normally reliable website, mxlarge.com, is reporting that multi-time world and AMA national motocross champion, and AMA Supercross champion, Jean-Michel Bayle will ride the US Outdoor National Motocross Championship aboard a factory Suzuki as Kevin Windham’s teammate this season. Lending credibility to this rumor is the fact that Bayle has always had a close relationship with Roger Decoster, who ran the Honda motocross/supercross team with Bayle as his star rider in the early 90s. Decoster, of course, is now the head of the Suzuki factory motocross team here in the US.

Bayle is arguably the most talented motorcycle rider of all time. Quitting motocross/supercross in his prime, Bayle took up roadracing and made it to the top ranks of the 500 GP class. A series of injuries, including a very serious concussion, led to Bayle scaling back his roadracing activities a few years ago.

Bayle won three AMA championships in a single season: the 250 supercross championship, 250 outdoor motocross championship, and 500 outdoor motocross championship. He was the only rider ever to accomplish this, and he did it in only his second season in the United States, against Kawasaki’s Jeff Ward, Honda’s Jeff Stanton, and other outstanding US riders.

Although we believe Bayle is in his early thirties, he is known for staying in excellent physical condition and could certainly be competitive on a motocross track if he dedicated himself.